Let's be honest ... Allyson and Chase's first look had everyone in a huge puddle of tears! Chase was so overwhelmed to see Allyson and he was so emotional. They were so happy to be getting married!! Having a First Look was the perfect ...

There is nothing like a fall wedding in Chattanooga, Tennessee! The weather is perfect and the leaves are bright, vibrant and every color you can imagine. Erica and Brad's wedding day was no exception as the sun shone bright.

It is always really special when we get to celebrate multiple events with the same family. We filmed Erica's brother wedding years ago and loved spending more time with this sweet family!!

Why choosing not to have a first look was right for them.

Erica and Brad chose not to see each other before the ceremony. They were both really nervous as they were getting ready, but Brad was definitely the most nervous! One of our favorite moments of the day was when Erica walked with her Dad down the aisle. Brad was obviously overwhelmed when he saw Erica for the first time. He was trying to control his emotions, but at the same time he couldn't take his eyes off of her! Re-watch their wedding video at the 2:50 mark!

They chose the best Chattanooga wedding venues!

They were married at Second Presbyterian Church in downtown Chattanooga. This church is perfect for a wedding because it is beautiful on the inside and outside! Plus, it is conveniently located to many reception venues downtown Chattanooga. We always love filming there!

Everyone headed to The Church on Main for their reception. Sound Force had the dance floor packed all night! Erica's wedding dress transformed from an elegant lace dress to a sleek dress perfect for the party. She was comfortable and did not leave the dance floor until their sparkler leave!

The day would not have been the same without their amazing wedding vendors from all over Chattanooga! Soiree's did a fantastic job coordinating all of the wedding events and making the venues look gorgeous!

It's always special when two people take time to create a wedding day that is personal and represents them. Heather and Austin worked together for months (and months) to plan and design a wedding with meaning and heart.

Enjoy their story below, then hear from Heather and Austin themselves!

Tell us about your wedding day.

{Heather} Wow. Where do I even begin? It was absolutely perfect in every way possible! Austin and I dated for 7 years and it’s something we’ve literally dreamed about from the beginning. The Abbott field has always been “our spot.” I can’t tell you how many times over the years I’ve made the comment to Austin that it would be cool to get married out there under the tree. But the place was a mess….for real. Anyway, on a weekend trip to the beach with my college roomates, Austin spent that time cleaning up the old house and under the tree. He proposed to me under that tree…and from then on I knew we had no choice but to get married there. SO, with that being said….Our wedding day was perfect: We were surrounded by our family and friends in the perfect place on the perfect blue-sky day.

What was your most memorable moment of the day?

{Heather} My most memorable moment of the day had to be the moment we jumped in the truck right after we were pronounced husband and wife. Austin and I sped away through the orchard to spend a few minutes alone together. That’s when it actually hit me that we were really, truly and officially MARRIED!

{Austin} I don’t know how to narrow it down to just one moment. The whole day was incredible. But I have to say, when I saw Heather coming down the hill it was all I could do to keep from crying. I’ll never forget the joy I felt knowing what was about to happen.

What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding?

{Heather} The biggest challenge while planning the wedding was getting the field ready. We literally had to bring in everything from chairs, tables, and restrooms… even electricity! But thanks to the awesome help of our wedding planner Tara, and our wonderful parents and grandparents we were able to bring it all together!

What was most important to you when you were wedding planning?

{Heather} From the beginning, choosing our videographer and photographer were at the top of the list. I researched and researched and researched! When I found Hampton Road Studios (Ashley and Matt) and Little Acorn Photography (Jackie and Luke) my search ended immediately. They were both husband and wife teams and I knew they would be perfect for us! The guys spent the day with Austin and his groomsmen while the girls spent the day with the bridesmaids and myself. By the end of the day, Austin and I felt like we had known Ashley, Matt, Jackie, and Luke forever.

Tell us about any meaningful detail/special moments during your ceremony.

{Heather} There are so many! First of all, (I guess this is considered pre-ceremony but…), my Mom styled my hair for me that day. It meant so much to have her by my side and playing such a huge role! I know she was super nervous, but if I do say so myself- she nailed it! A special moment (again pre-ceremony…) was the time I got to spend with my Dad in the truck at the top of the hill. We were able to watch everyone be seated for the ceremony and that was pretty neat. My favorite moment of our time together- Dad revving the Chevy’s engine as we drove towards the ceremony- “Just so they know we’re coming,” he said.

{Heather} The most special moment of our ceremony was removing our purity rings and putting on each other’s wedding bands. That was an indescribable feeling. Speaking of indescribable, Austin and I wrote our own vows to each other and that, too, was indescribable. It was so much harder to speak when the time came to say them, but it was worth every happy tear shed in the process!

{Austin} In addition to getting to say “I do” and hearing Heather’s beautiful vows, I’d also say that my dad performing the ceremony was very special to me. It’s something I’ll never forget and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I don’t know how he kept it together as well as he did but I was proud to have him stand up there with Heather and me for the ceremony.

Tell us about meaningful details during your reception.

{Austin} Just having so many loved ones there in one place was overwhelmingly awesome. We couldn’t turn a corner without seeing someone special, and all night people were coming up to us with smiling faces and best wishes.

{Heather} Also, the toast by Austin’s two Best Men and my Maid of Honor were pretty awesome. Robert and Marvin were hilarious, making people laugh as always. Kayla, my Maid of Honor and college roommate of 4 years, said some of the sweetest words I’ve ever heard in my life.

Tell us about finding your wedding dress

{Heather} Well, let’s just say that was a process! I didn’t want lace and I didn’t want a long train. Six stores and what felt like a thousand dresses later, I fell in love with a beautiful lace dress with an incredibly long train! (I think my mom and Maid of Honor knew all along I would end up with a lace dress…thankfully they were patient with me!)

What advice do you have for couples currently planning a wedding?

{Heather} HIRE A VIDEOGRAPHER! They are worth every single penny. I promise you.

What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life?

{Austin} We’re moving to Atlanta so Heather can begin graduate school and become a Physical Therapist. It’ll be good to finally have a place there that we can call our own. We’ve always looked forward to living together. It’s been something that we’ve wanted for a long time, so it’s going to be great to finally come home to one another at the end of the day.

Congratulations Heather and Austin! Thank you for trusting us to capture your story and inviting us to be a part of it!

Lauren and Matt met for the first time when they were 8 years old. After years of knowing each other, they became closer friends in their high school senior Anatomy class. Matt asked Lauren to his senior homecoming and 5 years later they were planning their wedding! These two high school sweethearts were married on a perfect spring day in Alabama!

Here is Lauren and Matt's perspective of their wedding day ...

{Lauren} Our wedding day is something we will always cherish forever. Having an April wedding can be so unpredictable for weather, but our day was absolutely perfect. We had so much fun celebrating with all our loved ones and can’t believe how fast the day went by. Having a big, southern Antebellum Home wedding on the lake while marrying your best friend surrounded by friends and family was the greatest feeling in the world.

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day?

{Lauren} I had several favorite moments throughout the day such as my bridesmaids and dad seeing my dress for the first time, the pre-ceremony prayer with our officiator, celebrating with our loved ones, walking along the lake with my husband at sunset for a few quick picture/video shots, and much more. My most memorable moments though are my 1st look with Matt and walking down the aisle with my dad to meet Matt at the altar. Both are moments that I felt the Lord was smiling down on us.

{Matt} I have many memories from our wedding day, but there’s one that sticks out above all. I remember making the long walk to the boathouse for the first look. As we waited for Lauren to arrive, I remember the warm wind softly blowing across the lake. I also remember how the nerves were building up in anticipation for my beautiful bride. As I heard her making her way up to the top of the boathouse to meet me, what was probably 5 minutes felt like 5 hours. I could hear her walking towards me, and finally, a gentle tap on my shoulder. The second I turned around, all the nerves, worries, and anxieties melted away. I felt comforted immediately, and knew this would be the best day of our lives… so far.

What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding?

{Lauren} The biggest challenge we had to overcome is wedding planning while both working full-time. Many nights were spent addressing cards, finishing registries, and having vendor meetings. You just have to keep a positive mindset and enjoy that special time because looking back we had so much fun together planning the day we would become husband and wife after our many years of dating.

How did you make the ceremony unique and represent you?

{Lauren} We chose for our ceremony to be a worship service unto the Lord celebrating our union. We chose to give worship by focusing on the true meaning of marriage and singing one of our favorite hymns, “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” I loved how our officiator said marriage is not how long you can endure but how constantly you can love.

What moments made your reception special?

{Lauren} Our reception was such a blast to celebrate with all our friends and family who have supported us throughout our lives and relationship. Matt and I chose “Then” as our first song because Brad Paisley was our mutual love when we first started dating, my dad and I chose “My Little Girl” because of our love for Tim McGraw throughout my childhood, and Matt and I chose “Sweet Caroline” as our final song because of our mutual grand love for baseball. We loved having our sorority and fraternity there to surround us and sing our ritual songs to us on our joyous day. Our sparkler exit was the perfect way to end the night—it was beautiful to see!

Tell us about finding your perfect wedding dress.

{Lauren} Finding my wedding dress was actually very easy! I had an exact shape, style, and color I wanted. Shortly after my search began, I ran across a dress that ended up being THE dress. It was just the style I had in mind, perfect for an outdoor wedding, and so me! After that, I found the perfect veil and hot pink wedges to make my attire complete!

Did you have any heirlooms you used in your wedding?

{Lauren} Yes, I wore my great grandmother’s brooch on my bouquet on top of a lace, monogrammed “S” hankerchief my sorority Little/Bridesmaid got me while in Belgium when I got engaged.

Why did you decide to do a “first look”?

{Lauren} I am very traditional, so I had originally not wanted one. Shortly into planning, we got talked into having a first look and do not regret it one bit. We would recommend having one to anyone having doubts. Words cannot describe how at peace I felt spending that quiet and alone time with my groom admiring God’s beautiful creation that surrounded us that Easter Saturday for our wedding day. We just enjoyed talking with each other before the events began. Nothing will ever take away the feeling you will get as you walk down the aisle to your groom, not even a first look. Both are special moments and both are memories that will stay with me forever.

What advice do you have for couples planning their wedding?

{Lauren} Enjoy it as much as possible. Don’t get too stressed about little details because everything will fall into place. We had a wonderful planner and day of coordinator who helped to take our stress away as well. Use your engagement period and continue to through marriage to learn more about your spouse and to grow spiritually. Joining a small group bible study has been such a blessing to go through life with people at our same life stage.

{Matt} Times can get stressful, but remember why you are planning a wedding. As long as the both of you say your vows, all the other details don’t matter in comparison. Just stay organized, and do most of your planning early while y’all are excited to do the planning. Once time gets short, things get crazy. So do most of the planning early!

What’s next for you?

{Lauren} We are looking forward to building our lives together, living everyday to bring glory to our Savior, starting a family in the future, and many years of love, joy, and laughter with each other.

Congratulations Lauren and Matt! Thank you for trusting us to capture your story!